Polish Orthography

)5 PART X: USE AND ADAPTATION OF SCRIPTS

TABLE 59.10: Polish Alphabet

Letter^

Phonetic Value''

Name

A

a

[a]

[a]

A

Q

[o];[o] before/,/;

[0] + homorganic nasal before

stop

[0]

B

b

[b]

[be]

C

c

[ts] (when palatalized, [tc])

[tse]

C

c

[Fq]

[tee]

D

d

[d]

[de]

E

e

[e]

[e]

^

^

[e]; [e] before /, / and word-finally;

[e]

[e] + homorganic nasal before

stop

F

f

[f]

[ef]

G

8

[g]

[g'e]

H

h

[x], archaic-regional [fi]

[xa], [fia]

I

i

[i]

[i]

J

J

Dl

Uot]

K

k

[k]

[ka]

L

I

[1]

[el]

L

i

[w], archaic-regional [4-]

[ew], [ei]

M

m

[m]

[em]

N

n

[n] (when palatalized, Iji])

[en]

N

n

Di]

[eji]

[0]

[0]

6

6

[u]

[0 kreskovane] 'lined 0'

p

P

[p]

[pe]

R

r

W

[er]

S

s

[s] (when palatalized, [c])

[es]

s

s

[C]

[ec]

T

t

[t]

[te]

U

u

[u]

[u]

W

w

[V]

[vu]

Y

y

[I]

[igrek]

Z

z

[z] (when palatalized, [z])

[zet]

Z

z

[i\

[zet]

Z

2

[3]

[3et]

a. The following digraphs are not considered single letters of the alphabet:

Ch
Cz
Dz
Dz
Dz
Rz
Sz

ch

[X]

[tJ]

dz Idz] (when palatalized [d^])

dz [di]

dz [d^]

rz [5]

sz tJ]

b. Consonants are palatalized before / [i], and are represented as C + / before other vowels. The palatalized
consonant symbols with acute accents are used only before consonants and word-finally.

:SAMPLES OF :^LAVIC AND tJALTIC LANGUAGES

Polish

7. Polish: Juz

2. Transcription: juj
J. Gloss: already in

w r^kopisach wytworzyl si^
w reqkop^isax vitfojiw ge

manuscripts created

swoisty

sfojisti

self characteristic

1. typ ortografii,^

2. tip ortografji

w szczegolach zas
f Jtjeguwax zag

wykrystalizowal
vikristaWzovaw

si^
qe

we
ve

J. type of. orthography in details however crystallized

self in

/. wzorowych drukowniach krakowskich. Polega on na
2. vzorovix drukovjiax krakofsk^ix polega on na

printing-houses Cracowian relies it on

J. leading

1. liter

2. loiter
J. of. letters

1. mi^kkosci.^

2. m%r)koqtqi
J. of.softness

l^czeniu

wontjejiu

combination

alfabetu
alfabetu
of.alphabet

Proby
prubi
attempts

lacinskiego i nauzyciu litery
watqijisk%go i naujitqu Piteri
Latin and on use

/ jako znaku
i jako znaku
of.letter / as sign

radykalnej
radikalnej
of.radical

zmiany
zm^ani
change

mindly

mHnewi

passed

bez
bez
without

echa.

exa

echo

'Already in the manuscripts there arose a characteristic type of orthography;
however, it was crystallized in its details in the leading Cracow printing-houses.
It is based on the combination of letters of the Latin alphabet and on the use of
the letter / as a sign of softness. Attempts at radical change have passed by with-
out trace.' —Encyklopedia Powszechna 1975: 586.

Notes:

^The word ortografii shows the letter / representing [j] before a vowel, a possibility found in loanwords.

''The adjective miqkki 'soft' and its derivatives are spelled with double k, but pronounced with single [k^].

Baltic and Slavic languages

Comrie, Bernard, & Greville G. Corbett, eds. 1993. The Slavonic Languages. London: Routledge.
De Bray, Reginald G. A. 1980A. Guide to the South Slavonic Languages. Columbus, Ohio: Slavica.

. 1980B. Guide to the West Slavonic Languages. Columbus, Ohio: Slavica.

Encyklopedia Powszechna PWN [General encyclopedia of the State Scientific Publishing House].
1975. Vol. 3. Warsaw: Panstwowe Wydawnictwo Narodowe.

THE WORLD'S
WRITING SYSTEMS

Edited by
Peter T. Daniels

William Bright